Oct 5, 2026 · 42 min
Carla MacLeod returns to coaching after breast cancer
A Transformational Year with Carla MacLeod
MacLeod’s experience connects personal recovery with the demands of coaching through treatment and preparing Ottawa for a more competitive PWHL.
- 1Carla MacLeod describes how breast cancer treatment challenged her identity and reshaped her priorities beyond hockey.
- 2Support from Ottawa’s players, staff, fans, and hockey community helped MacLeod remain connected to coaching during treatment.
- 3Ottawa enters a larger PWHL season balancing its relentless identity with the small adjustments needed to contend again.
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MacLeod explains how coaching sustained her through cancer treatment while recovery required her to step away when necessary.
The brief
Sarah Spain opens with women’s sports headlines before turning to Carla MacLeod, whose breast cancer diagnosis disrupted the routine of coaching and changed how she sees the sport.
MacLeod describes the shock of treatment, the uncertainty over continuing to coach, and the support from Ottawa’s players, staff, fans, and wider hockey community.
Coaching gave MacLeod strength during treatment, while returning to the Czech national team for the Olympics showed how carefully she had to balance commitment with recovery.
Cancer changed MacLeod’s view of rest and self-care, making space away from hockey feel necessary rather than selfish after years of relentless athletic discipline.
Ottawa’s two straight finals appearances raise the stakes for a larger PWHL season, where preserving team stability may matter as much as adding new competitive pressure.